This invention deals with a vehicle for snow and ice which is ridden by standing thereon.
In the past, many snow and ice vehicles such as sleds and toboggans have been described in the art which are designed to seat one or more riders. Such vehicles are usually steered or maneuvered by means such as a rudder, wheel or specially constructed runners associated with the vehicle or by tilting or jerking the vehicle.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,937,482 to Merlin Johnson for example, a self-uprighting tow sled is provided which comprises a hull having its front and rear portions upwardly and laterally curved to form a rounded front and rear. The rear portion must lie in a horizontal plane no higher and preferably lower than the plane in which the front portion lies or the sled will not be self-righting. The bottom of the sled has a number of runners made unitary with the hull. Preferably at least three runners are in a straight-line, parallel relationship extending from the front to the rear of the sled. Curved outwardly from the straight runners are curved runners which can be curved at the front end and straight or curved at the rearward end. It is important that the curved runners extend forwardly over most of the bottom side of the front of the sled. The curved runners allow the towed sled to be turned by the passengers leaning towards one side or the other to allow the curved runners to bite into the snow and turn the sled.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,617,070 to A. C. Roberts, a single rider gliding vehicle for snow and water is described which is steered by the tilting or jerking of the vehicle body. It is generally characterized by having a seat assembly and crossbrace, a tow latch, and handholds. The body part of the vehicle comprises a generally flat bottom which flares from front to rear and which is curved upward at its forward end so that the forward motion of the vehicle will tend to raise the vehicle to or toward the surface of the snow or water. Side portions of the body flare upward and outward and terminate in two wing portions. The bottom of the vehicle includes two protruding, spaced parallel runners which can be made unitary with the bottom, which runners decrease progressively and evenly in width and depth from the front to rear until they each terminate at a point. The sides of each runner meet at an angle of 60.degree.. The tapering width and depth of the runners, and the tapering width of the bottom sides and wings tend to point in the direction in which the propelling force is acting.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,453,000 to R. J. Asher provides a flat rescue sled having three runners located on the underside of the body portion; a pair of longitudinal runners located on opposite edges of the bottom and a third central runner located along the centerline of the bottom from the front end to a point at least a third of the way back from the front end. A platform for the rider's chest is provided at the front end.
The present invention, unlike the above-described patents, provides a runnered vehicle for ice and snow which is ridden and maneuvered by standing thereon. Accordingly, the vehicle of this invention can be made smaller than prior art sleds, does not contain seating compartments, and is characterized by having platform members mounted thereon to accommodate the feet of a rider. In addition, the present invention provides a novel braking means for the vehicle and a runner design which allows pivoting of the vehicle on its forward end.